Drafted in the 5th round (144th overall) by the San Diego Padres in 2016 (signed for $350,000).
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Bachar truly came out of nowhere, as for most of his college career at Division III non-scholarship Wisconsin-Whitewater he was a punter/kicker on the football team. But Bachar came out for the baseball team in 2015 and has shown an extremely live arm ever since. The No. 1 prospect in the Northwoods League last summer, Bachar has a downer curveball that is a potentially above-average offering and also mixes in a fringe-average slider. His fastball is a lively low-90s pitch that touches 95. Bachar is athletic and has growth potential left in his fresh arm, but he was used heavily this season including 15 innings in a three-day span that included a complete-game win just two days after throwing six innings.
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Organization Prospect Rankings
TRACK RECORD: Bachar was the kicker/punter on Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater’s football team before joining the school’s baseball team as a junior. He played both sports for one year before focusing on baseball exclusively as a senior, after which the Padres drafted him in the fifth round on the strength of his fresh right arm. Bachar worked his way to Double-A and was one of the top starting pitchers in the Texas League in 2019, but he suffered an elbow injury that limited him in 2020.
SCOUTING REPORT: Bachar is a good athlete with a competitive streak on the mound. His fastball sits 92-93 mph as a starter and has touched 95. Bachar’s main weapons are his secondary pitches. He generates high spin rates on both his slider and curveball, with his slider flashing above-average and his curveball average. Bachar attacks hitters aggressively and throws plenty of strikes. His command is average, which is impressive for a pitcher with his lack of experience.
THE FUTURE: Bachar has spent time both starting and relieving, but most observers think he’d be best in the bullpen, where his stuff would tick up. He’ll see Triple-A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Bachar played football exclusively his first two years at Division III Wisconsin- Whitewater and was an all-conference kicker/punter. He went out for baseball as a junior in 2015 and played both sports before focusing solely on baseball as a senior. Bachar touched 95 mph that season, and his fresh, live arm led the Padres to draft him in the fifth round and sign him for $350,000.
SCOUTING REPORT: Bachar bounced between starting and relieving his first three seasons, but he found his role as a starter with Double-A Amarillo in 2019. He finished fifth in the Texas League in strikeouts (126) and sixth in ERA (3.98). Bachar's fastball averages 92-93 mph on his fastball, but his real weapons are his breaking pitches. He generates above-average spin rates on both his slider and curveball, with his slider flashing above-average and his downer curveball flashing average. He's a good athlete and fierce competitor whose control is getting better the more he pitches and has a chance to become average.
THE FUTURE: Evaluators are intrigued by the possibility of Bachar's stuff ticking up with a move to the bullpen. He'll open the season at Triple-A El Paso with his big league debut in reach.
Draft Prospects
Bachar truly came out of nowhere, as for most of his college career at Division III non-scholarship Wisconsin-Whitewater he was a punter/kicker on the football team. But Bachar came out for the baseball team in 2015 and has shown an extremely live arm ever since. The No. 1 prospect in the Northwoods League last summer, Bachar has a downer curveball that is a potentially above-average offering and also mixes in a fringe-average slider. His fastball is a lively low-90s pitch that touches 95. Bachar is athletic and has growth potential left in his fresh arm, but he was used heavily this season including 15 innings in a three-day span that included a complete-game win just two days after throwing six innings.
Scouting Reports
TRACK RECORD: Bachar was the kicker/punter on Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater’s football team before joining the school’s baseball team as a junior. He played both sports for one year before focusing on baseball exclusively as a senior, after which the Padres drafted him in the fifth round on the strength of his fresh right arm. Bachar worked his way to Double-A and was one of the top starting pitchers in the Texas League in 2019, but he suffered an elbow injury that limited him in 2020.
SCOUTING REPORT: Bachar is a good athlete with a competitive streak on the mound. His fastball sits 92-93 mph as a starter and has touched 95. Bachar’s main weapons are his secondary pitches. He generates high spin rates on both his slider and curveball, with his slider flashing above-average and his curveball average. Bachar attacks hitters aggressively and throws plenty of strikes. His command is average, which is impressive for a pitcher with his lack of experience.
THE FUTURE: Bachar has spent time both starting and relieving, but most observers think he’d be best in the bullpen, where his stuff would tick up. He’ll see Triple-A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Bachar was the kicker/punter on Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater’s football team before joining the school’s baseball team as a junior. He played both sports for one year before focusing on baseball exclusively as a senior, after which the Padres drafted him in the fifth round on the strength of his fresh right arm. Bachar worked his way to Double-A and was one of the top starting pitchers in the Texas League in 2019, but he suffered an elbow injury that limited him in 2020.
SCOUTING REPORT: Bachar is a good athlete with a competitive streak on the mound. His fastball sits 92-93 mph as a starter and has touched 95. Bachar’s main weapons are his secondary pitches. He generates high spin rates on both his slider and curveball, with his slider flashing above-average and his curveball average. Bachar attacks hitters aggressively and throws plenty of strikes. His command is average, which is impressive for a pitcher with his lack of experience.
THE FUTURE: Bachar has spent time both starting and relieving, but most observers think he’d be best in the bullpen, where his stuff would tick up. He’ll see Triple-A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Bachar played football exclusively his first two years at Division III Wisconsin- Whitewater and was an all-conference kicker/punter. He went out for baseball as a junior in 2015 and played both sports before focusing solely on baseball as a senior. Bachar touched 95 mph that season, and his fresh, live arm led the Padres to draft him in the fifth round and sign him for $350,000.
SCOUTING REPORT: Bachar bounced between starting and relieving his first three seasons, but he found his role as a starter with Double-A Amarillo in 2019. He finished fifth in the Texas League in strikeouts (126) and sixth in ERA (3.98). Bachar's fastball averages 92-93 mph on his fastball, but his real weapons are his breaking pitches. He generates above-average spin rates on both his slider and curveball, with his slider flashing above-average and his downer curveball flashing average. He's a good athlete and fierce competitor whose control is getting better the more he pitches and has a chance to become average.
THE FUTURE: Evaluators are intrigued by the possibility of Bachar's stuff ticking up with a move to the bullpen. He'll open the season at Triple-A El Paso with his big league debut in reach.
Career Transactions
San Antonio Missions activated RHP Lake Bachar from the 7-day injured list.
RHP Lake Bachar assigned to San Diego Padres.
RHP Lake Bachar roster status changed by San Diego Padres.
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